Using Performance Task-GRASPS to Assess Student Performance in Higher Education Courses

Abstract

This qualitative study explores student ability to integrate the use of knowledge and skills and demonstrates how students utilize skills in real-world situations through performance tasks using the performance task—GRASPS (Goals, Rules, Audience, Situation, Product/Performance, Standards) model. This study was carried out in the Introduction for Education course for 44 students in a teacher qualification program. Interviews, performance task-GRASPS reports, student focus group conversations, student reflections, and student products were used. Grounded theory was employed to analyze qualitative data. Findings show that students explained many educative features, including their views and beliefs toward performance tasks and authentic assessment. Students also understood their abilities through their products and reports about their roles in real-life situations. In addition, students demonstrated what they achieved and developed by themselves, and they felt happy and enjoyed their roles in real-life situations. The students reported that the evaluation method improved their self-confidence. Diversity was observed among the products and performances; students addressed the same challenges differently. This method develops the performance of university professors in authentic assessment by establishing performance tasks and using various rubrics to assess various products. These findings indicate that teacher educators must use authentic assessments and performance tasks to make students interactive in courses and utilize rubrics in evaluation that provide students real description of their performances.